Has anyone ever started up a charity? Or works closely with one? (803 views, 4 replies)
top expert
whether it is for profit or non profit, it follows a business model. just like a regular business would. first step identify your goal/mission statement, what it is you want to accomplish. then lay out the bullet points or steps and procedures you plan to use to accomplish stated mission. each step might have sub sections of how to achieve each part towards the greater whole. once you have that outlined, contact city hall or chamber of commerce to see if you require a permit or license to begin. may have to file papers with irs for 501 status, i think that qualifies you for tax exempt purchases, make sure any and all purchases on that status is strictly for the organization, be meticulous in record keeping. but city hall or the chamber should be better equipped to help you sort that part out to be a recognized charity.
lastly and most importantly, talk to family and friends about your desire, get feedback and input. realistically in the early stages most likely it will be pure volunteer. ...
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top expert
top expert
well in addition to chaz's advice... for special events, like major fundraising, hire a professional public relations team. It's a risky endeavor but a good p.r. team is worth the expense. Frequently, it's a contract hire and something you'll leave to networking in major cities or attempts to go nationwide/international.
For the more immediate and longterm, you should have someone with a solid background in grant writing... but it doesn't necessarily have to be in-house, although it is helpful if they are or at least local.
and if you're able to survive for five years (or start getting in mid to upper six digit range), a probate attorney for potential donors and trust development. Smaller claims can be handled by your tax person.
Also, you'll need to decide whether you're going to be primarily a cash granting (fundraising) organization or a service provider. If you don't want to discover how sleazy and competitive charities and non profits really are.. consider focusing on services. It's a slower, tougher build and you'll require more help but if you're looking to survive the long term it's a fair way to go. It puts you contact with high and low, so you're serving as more than just a middleman. But it is costly and slow to build.
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senior guru
Hey laylaandpaz,
Your profile says you're in the UK so I would suggest having a look at the sites I'll post below for information on setting up a charity.
There are several hoops you have to jump through before being able to register.
For the last few years my sister-in-law has been in the process of setting up her own international charity and it's still being held up by banking issues. She has thousands of pounds of donations sat waiting to be deposited, whilst the bank is screwing around with paperwork.
If you're in England/Wales gov.uk/setting-up-charity has a lot of info, but there are also lots of sites that offer guidance and support. www.charityexpert.net being one of them
If you're in Scotland the SCVO and OSCR are probably the best places to start.
Not sure who to talk to in N/Ireland, though.
I really hope you succeed in whatever charitable work you are doing, or plan to do. ...
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top expert
I Would like to start a charity for a particular subject close to my heart and have looked into it a little. I have time to do it but not sure if its enough time and how much work would be involved. Im sure it would be loads and extremely time consuming..Not sure where to begin and how hard it would be. I really would hate to start something and fail at it. Perhaps you may know somebody who has done something along these lines? If anyone has advice on this I would love to hear it....